American politician (1942- )
Deep in the heart of every American, I think there burns a flame. It's an inheritance from every generation of Americans that has come before us. That's why we have overcome every crisis we have ever faced before. It's what makes this nation so special, why we stand apart. That flame is not going to be extinguished in this moment. If our leadership does its part, the American people will do more than their part.
JOE BIDEN
speech on Coronavirus, March 23, 2020
After 9-11, the President had a historic opportunity to unite Americans and the world in common cause. Instead, by exploiting the politics of fear, instigating an optional war in Iraq before finishing a necessary war in Afghanistan and instituting policies on torture, detainees and domestic surveillance that fly in the face of our values and interests, President Bush divided Americans from each other and from the world.
JOE BIDEN
speech, Jul. 15, 2008
The system wasn't working, and I thought it was time to err on the side of a new model. What might work, I thought, was a system that promoted personal accountability, consistency, and certainty. Congress could say people who committed the same federal crime, under the same circumstances, were going to jail for the same amount of time. We could give judges a narrower set of sentencing guidelines to work with, and felons would be required to pay the same price. We'd be judging the crime, not the person.
JOE BIDEN
Promises to Keep
Look, no one should have to choose between earning a living and protecting their own health. As well the health of those around them they love so much. This virus has made all too clear the absolute necessity of making sure everyone, everyone, can access affordable, high quality healthcare. That's what our government should be doing right now. Not fighting in the courts to strip away the healthcare protections from folks who need it more than ever. Testing, rapid results, treatment, and ultimately access to a vaccine for COVID-19 should be available to everyone, and I mean everyone, free of cost.
JOE BIDEN
virtual town hall meeting, May 4, 2020
It's not just the automobile industry is coming back, folks. Manufacturing is coming back. The middle class is coming back. America is coming back -- worker by worker, home by home, community by community, this country is coming back.
JOE BIDEN
speech, Mar. 15, 2012
I wasn't built to look the other way because the law demanded it. The law might be wrong.
JOE BIDEN
Promises to Keep
Some of my friends in the current administration have little interest in alliances, international organizations and treaties. There's a logic to their disengagement. They start from the premise that America's military might is the single most important determinant in the international system. Because that might is so much greater than anyone else's they see allies and agreements as more of a burden than a benefit. It's Gulliver tied down by the Lilliputians.
JOE BIDEN
speech, Apr. 12, 2005
I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days. I know that the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we all are created equal, and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization have long torn us apart.
JOE BIDEN
Inaugural Address, January 20, 2021
The Corona virus is shining a bright light on the inequities in our country and there's so much work to do but I have no doubt we can meet these challenges brought on by this virus if we work together. The American people have never, not a joke, I know you're tired of hearing me say this, have never, ever, ever, ever let the country down given half a chance. They're tough, there's no quit in America. They're prepared but we've got to do it together.
JOE BIDEN
virtual town hall meeting, April 28, 2020
My message to everyone who's been knocked down, counted out, left behind, this is your campaign. We need you. We want you and there's a place for you in our campaign.
JOE BIDEN
speech at Houston rally, March 2, 2020
Al Qaeda must be destroyed. Its ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction must be stopped. But to compare terrorism with an all encompassing ideology like Communism and Fascism is evidence of profound confusion. Terrorism is a means, not an end, and very different groups and countries are using it toward very different goals. President Bush and Senator McCain lump together, as a single threat, extremist groups and states as at odds with each other as they are with us: Sunnis and Shiites, Persian and Arabs, Iraq and Iran, Al Qaeda and Shiite militia. If they can't identify the enemy or describe the war we're fighting, it's difficult to see how we will win.
JOE BIDEN
speech, Jul. 15, 2008
Well, there are a number of lessons to this war. One of the lessons of the war is that when you go into a country that is under a dictatorship, no matter what the underlying makeup of the country is, that it takes an awful long time to be able to help re-establish a circumstance where there's a possibility of a democratic country emerging. And so that's one of the lessons I think everyone has learned.
JOE BIDEN
interview, NPR, Dec. 13, 2011
Together we shall write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity, not division. Of light, not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness.
JOE BIDEN
Inaugural Address, January 20, 2021
When seagull droppings landed on my head at a campaign event at Bowers Beach two days before Election Day, I chose to read it as a sign of a coming success.
JOE BIDEN
Promises to Keep
The idea that we can wipe out every vestige of Iran's influence in Iraq is a fantasy. Even with 160,000 American troops in Iraq, Prime Minister Maliki, our ally in Baghdad greets Iran's leader with kisses. Like it or not, Iran is a major regional power and it shares a long border – and a long history – with Iraq.
JOE BIDEN
speech, May 20, 2008
Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.
JOE BIDEN
attributed, Social Policy for Effective Practice
And by the way, this time when we rebuild the middle class, we got to bring everybody along, everybody along, black, brown, women, men, straight, across the board. The idea that somehow people are just figuring this out kind of surprises me, but everybody's just looking for a shot. No one's looking for a handout. Everybody's looking for just an even shot and they don't feel like they're getting a chance because they're not. They're being left behind. But I promise you, I give you my word as a Biden, I'm going to bring everybody along this time. Everybody along.
JOE BIDEN
Nevada Caucus speech, February 22, 2020
America's experience -- and that of many other nations ... teaches that fostering entrepreneurship is not just about crafting the right economic policy or developing the best educational curriculum. It's about creating a free political climate in which ideas and innovation can flourish. Simply put, governments that protect liberties, embrace transparency allow for vibrant civil societies, give women equal opportunity, they are the ones that pave the way for thriving cultures.
JOE BIDEN
remarks at Entrepreneurship Summit, Dec. 3, 2011
We're seeing during this crisis just why it is so important for American workers to belong to unions, so that they have someone to fight for them and with them.
JOE BIDEN
virtual town hall meeting, April 15, 2020
We still have such a long way to go but today, most Americans now get the challenge we're facing. They believe in science. The issue is important to them and they want their leaders to act on climate, particularly young people, as you said, inspired by the activism of Greta and so many young Americans as well, who are leading on climate.
JOE BIDEN
virtual town hall meeting, April 22, 2020